[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 299 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 299

    Designating October 2011 as ``National Work and Family Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 19, 2011

  Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Kohl, and Mr. Lautenberg) 
 submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Designating October 2011 as ``National Work and Family Month''.

Whereas, according to a report by WorldatWork, a nonprofit professional 
        association with expertise in attracting, motivating, and retaining 
        employees, the quality of workers' jobs and the supportiveness of the 
        workplace of the workers are key predictors of the job productivity, job 
        satisfaction, and commitment to the employer of those workers, as well 
        as of the ability of the employer to retain those workers;
Whereas ``work-life balance'' refers to specific organizational practices, 
        policies, and programs that are guided by a philosophy of active support 
        for the efforts of employees to achieve success within and outside the 
        workplace, such as caring for dependents, health and wellness, paid and 
        unpaid time off, financial support, community involvement, and workplace 
        culture;
Whereas numerous studies show that employers that offer effective work-life 
        balance programs are better able to recruit more talented employees, 
        maintain a happier, healthier, and less stressed workforce, and retain 
        experienced employees, which produces a more productive and stable 
        workforce with less voluntary turnover;
Whereas job flexibility often allows parents to be more involved in the lives of 
        their children, and research demonstrates that parental involvement is 
        associated with higher achievement in language and mathematics, improved 
        behavior, greater academic persistence, and lower dropout rates in 
        children;
Whereas military families have special work-family needs that often require 
        robust policies and programs that provide flexibility to employees in 
        unique circumstances;
Whereas studies report that family rituals, such as sitting down to dinner 
        together and sharing activities on weekends and holidays, positively 
        influence the health and development of children and that children who 
        eat dinner with their families every day consume nearly a full serving 
        more of fruits and vegetables per day than those who never eat dinner 
        with their families or do so only occasionally; and
Whereas the month of October is an appropriate month to designate as National 
        Work and Family Month: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates October 2011 as ``National Work and Family 
        Month'';
            (2) recognizes the importance of work schedules that allow 
        employees to spend time with their families to job productivity 
        and healthy families;
            (3) urges public officials, employers, employees, and the 
        general public to work together to achieve more balance between 
        work and family; and
            (4) calls upon the people of the United States to observe 
        National Work and Family Month with appropriate ceremonies and 
        activities.
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